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John Galt In Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged

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Who is John Galt? This phrase has been uttered, branded, and co-opted since Ayn Rand first published Atlas shrugged in 1957. As much metaphor as man, John Galt, is the main Protagonist of Rand's oft cited magnum opus. In "Atlas Shrugged" Galt leads a strike of some of the country's leading industrialists. He spirits them away to a secluded camp deep in the Rockies leading to the eventual dismantlement of the socialist state. Today's Galt lends his name to the lexicon in popular phrases like "going Galt.” This essay will answer the question "Who is John Galt" by showing how the character of Galt jumped from the pages of Atlas Shrugged and transformed into a powerful symbol in common use today in both economics and politics. During the events of Atlas Shrugged several prominent industrialists retire and seemingly "disappear" in the face of an overly meddlesome and thuggish government of the United …show more content…

All while the machinations of the creative class are what make modern society possible. In contemporary society, all other forms of labor have struck at one time or another to force change upon society, thus the strike "of the minds" serves as a parody and a juxtaposition to a more typical strike by laborers. This strike in the novel led by engineer John Galt ( and largely comprised of various engineers) reminds the reader that the industrial revolution that has led to the surplus based society that we enjoy today, was led by thinkers, inventors, and creators who following their own self-interest sparked a modern Renaissance of thought and creation. The inference is that society at large would be foolish to cultivate conditions that disincentives those clever and brave enough to dare to

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